Tracked

Lu Heng knew perfectly well that the heavy beast that was entrenched in the forest was no match for him at this stage.

Today, Inner Region in the forest, we found a series of treasures: Frozen Plum bushes, ordinary wooden boxes, and even Black Iron Chest chest from Leopard's den. We had a very fruitful day. But fortune and misfortune are intertwined; after the ultimate surprises, deadly dangers will follow.

He could easily kill ordinary small wild beasts; even ordinary medium-sized Black Iron Tier beasts were a match for him in close combat. But heavy beasts like the Tusked Boar were on a completely different level, with thick hides and flesh comparable to heavy armor, and brute force enough to crush everything. Even though he had enhanced his body with the Leopard Core, making his physique far superior to that of an ordinary person, he still had no chance of winning in a pure strength contest.

If forced into a fight to the death, the only chance is to use the Bronze Hunting Blade to get close and break through the defenses. However, the risk of getting close to a heavy beast is deadly. Once hit by its immense force, one's bones and muscles will be severely damaged, making it a losing proposition.

The thought quickly cleared up, Lu Heng swiftly composed himself, stepping lightly on the snow and using the trees on both sides for cover, preparing to quietly detour to avoid the ferocious beast.

But this Tusked Boar had exceptionally keen senses. It instantly broke its rest by noticing just a fleeting movement of a human figure in the forest. Its massive body, weighing hundreds of pounds, kicked up the snow and charged straight at him with a fierce gust of wind, without any strategy.

There was no probing, no hesitation, only the most ferocious and direct hunting assault.

Lu Heng dared not take the attack head-on. He quickly spun and shifted his feet in the snow, his body sliding backward continuously, barely avoiding each fatal charge with his agile movements.

The wild boar charged, kicking up a cloud of snow and the howling wind blasted in his ears. After several failed charges, the giant beast showed no signs of fatigue; instead, it grew even more frenzied, completely locking down his range of movement.

Simply dodging is not a long-term solution; once your stamina is exhausted, it's a dead end.

In a flash, Lu Heng decisively abandoned the detour, turned sideways, accelerated, and headed straight for a thick, upright Green Pine beside him. He used both hands and feet, his fingertips gripping the rough bark, his feet pushing against the protruding parts of the trunk, and he climbed upwards at lightning speed. The vibrations from his movements caused the thick snow on the branches to fall in a flurry.

The next instant, a dull roar exploded through the forest.

The enraged Tusked Boar had already charged to the foot of the tree, its massive head slamming heavily into the trunk of the Green Pine!

Bang--!

A violent tremor shot up the tree trunk to the top, causing the entire Green Pine to shake and tremble violently. All the snow on the branches was swept away and fell, instantly covering the entire area below the tree with a white wave of snow.

This impact far exceeded Lu Heng's expectations; he was completely caught off guard!

The violent jolts suddenly lifted him upwards, his feet, which were using his waist for leverage, detached from the tree trunk, leaving half his body suspended in mid-air. The feeling of weightlessness gripped his entire body instantly. A chilling panic surged into his heart; the danger of falling was imminent.

At the critical moment, Lu Heng's pupils shrank, and he unleashed all his strength in both arms, his fingertips digging into the bark, while his right hand precisely gripped a hard branch growing horizontally beside him!

With a soft snap, the slender branch trembled slightly as it was gripped, barely managing to support his entire weight.

He hung several meters in the air, his muscles tense to the extreme, his knuckles white from gripping the tree trunk and branches tightly, managing to stabilize his swaying figure and narrowly avoid the first fall.

Seeing this, the Tusked Boar under the tree became even more agitated, repeatedly slamming its head against the tree trunk.

The loud bangs continued incessantly. The hard bark was smashed into pieces by the enormous force, and the trunk was covered with deep and shallow grooves, enough to reveal the terrifying brute strength of this behemoth. The old pine rooted in the frozen soil had a deep foundation and stood firm despite the crazy impact, but it still made Lu Heng's internal organs feel dull and suffocated at the top of the tree.

Despite several unsuccessful attacks, the Tusked Boar refused to leave, pacing anxiously around the tree trunk. Its heavy breathing pierced through the wind and snow, completely blocking all escape routes under the tree, clearly indicating its intention to ambush and surround it.

The man and the pig were instantly locked in a stalemate.

Snowflakes fell softly through the forest, and the temperature grew increasingly frigid. The cold wind seeped into his body through his collar, and even with animal hides for warmth, his exposed cheeks were already numb and stiff with cold. Lu Heng lay prone in the tree branches, holding his breath and focusing intently on the giant beast below, not daring to relax for a moment.

After a brief stalemate, the Tusked Boar gathered its strength again, then suddenly lowered its head and charged at full speed!

A second, violent impact struck suddenly, causing the tree trunk to tilt violently to one side and tremble!

The sudden swaying disrupted Lu Heng's balance again. His upper body leaned forward abruptly, with most of his body hanging out of the tree branch. He lost all footing and was almost completely hanging from the branch.

If the branch breaks or the force is even slightly weaker, he will fall directly to the ground and become prey for wild boars.

Lu Heng clenched his teeth, lowered his waist and pulled in his abdomen, his arms bulging with veins, channeling all his strength into his limbs, locking the branches tightly, and with his extreme body control, he managed to stabilize himself for the second time, enduring the extremely dangerous impact.

After several futile attempts, the beast's intelligence became apparent. The Tusked Boar had figured out the situation: the humans in the trees were extremely cautious and would never engage in close combat on the ground; their brute force charges were ultimately useless.

The rage and ferocity gradually subsided. It stopped its pointless attacks and slowly strolled to the snow-covered, sheltered spot on the tree trunk. It lay down on all fours, still guarding the tree, refusing to retreat even a step.

The wind and snow intensified, and the forest grew increasingly cold and gloomy. Lu Heng patiently lay in wait, observing until he was certain that the giant beast below had completely relaxed its guard and fallen into a deep sleep, before finally taking action.

Using the intertwined branches of the Green Pine, he moved his body very slowly, shifting his position little by little, keeping his body low and making no noise. By using the winding paths through the trees, he gradually increased the distance and completely escaped the Tusked Boar's warning range.

Only when he could no longer hear the heavy breathing of beasts, felt the vibrations of the snow beneath his feet, and the surroundings were completely quiet, did he find a low tree trunk and land steadily.

The moment my feet touched the snow, my tense nerves relaxed instantly, and my back, already damp with cold sweat, felt slightly chilly.

A brief review of the entire standoff revealed glaringly obvious shortcomings.

The agility and movement granted by the Leopard Core Enhancement are sufficient to deal with small to medium-sized beasts, but against heavily armored, brute-force beasts like the Tusked Boar, its weaknesses are glaringly exposed. The Bone Dagger is ineffective at penetrating defenses, and the Chain Blade can only be used for close-range attacks, which means facing a crushing, brute-force death.

The fundamental difference in physical strength cannot be bridged by short-term enhancements.

As the stalemate continued, darkness completely descended, and the unknown dangers lurking deep within the dense forest grew ever more intense with the night.

Lu Heng stopped exploring and checked his Storage Space. The Frozen Plum, the ordinary wooden box, and the Black Iron Chest were all intact.

Survival is a matter of life and death; fortune and misfortune are intertwined.

He exhaled a long puff of white mist, suppressing the lingering fear in his heart, and turned to face the swirling snow, steadily making his way back towards the Shelter. He had already set a clear goal in his mind: to quickly strengthen his combat capabilities, improve his weapons, and make up for his fatal weakness in facing heavy beasts.

Snow fell heavily in the forest, and the figures gradually disappeared into the distance.

Lu Heng was completely unaware that in the Green Pine forest he had left long ago, the Tusked Boar that had been lying dormant had slowly gotten up.

It raised its enormous head, its damp nostrils twitching incessantly, precisely capturing the distinct human scent lingering in the wind and snow.

A suppressed growl escaped from the deep, beastly throat.

The enormous body slowly stepped forward, silently following the direction Lu Heng had left in.